Kucinich ‘Wade’s Into Impeachment Issue

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, is showing courage — and echoes of past bravery by an Ohioan on Capitol Hill — by introducing articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney.

In condemning Cheney for his bellicosity on Iraq and Iran, Kucinich is contributing to a healthy debate within his party and the country. He is representing the anti-war wing of the Democratic Party, whose voices mostly fell silent when President Bush began calling for war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in 2002. Unlike 2008 rivals Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards, Kucinich has been consistent as well as conscientious, voting against the 2002 Iraq War resolution in the House when it was politically dangerous to do so. (Clinton and Edwards both voted for the Senate legislation.)

In his policy we see reflections of the Radical Republicans who criticized President Lincoln for treading too gently against the Confederacy during the Civil War. Sen. Ben Wade of Ohio and Rep. Thad Stevens of Pennsylvania compelled Lincoln to address slavery when the Great Emancipator may have wished to ignore it. Likewise, Kucinich is proceeding with his impeachment articles despite the possible reluctance of fellow Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He said that “as much as I admire the speaker, as much as I voted to support her, I feel that it’s my obligation as a member of Congress to introduce these articles of impeachment.”

Intra-party and intra-national tensions may sound harmful to a war effort, but in truth the dialogue between pragmatism and principle is too important to abandon, even — and especially — in wartime.

Well Rich congress voted for the war. Sure it was based on wrong Intelligence reports. There is no telling whether Bush was the one misinformed or if he purposely misinformed the congress. Therefore I don’t see no grounds for impeachment of Cheney. I applaud KUCINICH for his consistency. Of course I wish they would be more out there.